Digital synthesizer, communication unit and method therefor

Abstract

A digital synthesizer includes a ramp generator that generates a signal of frequency control words, FCW, that describes a desired frequency modulated continuous wave; a digitally controlled oscillator, DCO, that receives the FCW signal and outputs a DCO signal; and a feedback loop that includes a dual time-to-digital converter, TDC, circuit to measure a delay between a representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal. The TDC circuit comprises a medium-resolution TDC circuit coupled to a fine-resolution TDC circuit; and a phase comparator coupled to the ramp generator that compares a phase of the FCW signal output from the ramp generator and a signal fed back from the DCO via the feedback loop and output a N-bit oscillator control signal. The medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells, where each of the plurality of individual delay cells is coupled to a respective individual fine-resolution TDC circuit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A digital synthesizer comprising:
 a ramp generator configured to generate a signal of frequency control words, a FCW signal, that describes a desired frequency modulated continuous wave; 
 a digitally controlled oscillator, DCO, configured to receive the FCW signal and output a DCO signal; 
 a feedback loop comprising a dual time-to-digital converter, TDC, circuit configured to measure a delay between a representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal, where the TDC circuit comprises a medium-resolution TDC circuit coupled to a fine-resolution TDC circuit; and 
 a phase comparator coupled to the ramp generator and configured to compare a phase of the FCW signal output from the ramp generator and a signal fed back from the DCO via the feedback loop and output a N-bit oscillator control signal; 
 wherein the digital synthesizer is characterised in that the medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells, where each of the plurality of individual delay cells is coupled to a respective individual fine-resolution TDC circuit, and the fine-resolution TDC circuit comprises individual delay cells, each individual delay cell comprising: 
 two multiplexers at an input, and 
 per cell bank calibration circuits, wherein the two multiplexers are configured to enable a respective per cell bank calibration circuit to more accurately align the reference frequency signal and the representation of the DCO signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The digital synthesizer of  claim 1 , wherein the fine-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells as a corresponding companion to each individual delay cell of the medium-resolution TDC circuit. 
     
     
       3. The digital synthesizer of  claim 1 , wherein each respective individual fine-resolution TDC circuit measures the delay between the representation of the DCO signal and the reference signal within a period substantially representative of a time delay of a medium-resolution TDC circuit delay cell. 
     
     
       4. The digital synthesizer of  claim 3 , wherein the medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a number of individual delay cells, and is configured to measure a delay at a medium resolution on an order of one or more individual inverter delays. 
     
     
       5. The digital synthesizer of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individual delay cells medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a sequence of delay elements that are logic buffers. 
     
     
       6. The digital synthesizer of  claim 1 , wherein the medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a series of flip-flops and sampling of the representation of the DCO signal is performed through the series of flip-flops in order to generate a first representation of codes that represent a first coarse measurement of the delay between the representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal. 
     
     
       7. The digital synthesizer of  claim 6 , wherein the fine-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells and each of the plurality of individual delay cells of the fine-resolution TDC circuit includes a respective one of the per cell bank calibration circuits with a series of capacitor banks, wherein each capacitor bank is arranged to receive one of the first representation of codes to thereby more accurately align the reference (clock) frequency signal and the representation of the DCO signal. 
     
     
       8. The digital synthesizer of  claim 7 , wherein capacitive elements in a plurality of the capacitor banks are dynamically selectable in order to generate a variable TDC output code. 
     
     
       9. The digital synthesizer of  claim 8 , wherein capacitive elements of each capacitor bank are selected based on a linearity requirement of the TDC output code. 
     
     
       10. The digital synthesizer of  claim 1  wherein the medium-resolution TDC circuit is configured to provide a resolution of at least one period of a DCO output signal. 
     
     
       11. The digital synthesizer of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback loop comprises a frequency divider configured to generate a DCO frequency-divided signal from the DCO signal; and the dual TDC circuit is configured to measure a delay between the DCO frequency-divided signal and the reference signal. 
     
     
       12. A communication unit having a digital synthesizer comprising:
 a ramp generator configured to generate a signal of frequency control words, a FCW signal, that describes a desired frequency modulated continuous wave; 
 a digitally controlled oscillator, DCO, configured to receive the FCW signal and output a DCO signal; 
 a feedback loop comprising a dual time-to-digital converter, TDC, circuit configured to measure a delay between a representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal, where the TDC circuit comprises a medium-resolution TDC circuit coupled to a fine-resolution TDC circuit; and 
 a phase comparator coupled to the ramp generator and configured to compare a phase of the FCW signal output from the ramp generator and a signal fed back from the DCO via the feedback loop and output a N-bit oscillator control signal; 
 wherein 
 the digital synthesizer is characterised in that the medium-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells, where each of the plurality of individual delay cells is coupled to a respective individual fine-resolution TDC circuit, and 
 the fine-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of individual delay cells and each of the plurality of individual delay cells of the fine-resolution TDC circuit includes a series of capacitor banks, each capacitor bank is arranged to receive the representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal. 
 
     
     
       13. A method for performing time-to-digital conversion in a digital synthesizer, the method comprising:
 generating a signal of frequency control words, a FCW signal, that describes a desired frequency modulated continuous wave; 
 applying the FCW signal to a digitally controlled oscillator and outputting a DCO signal; 
 feeding back the DCO signal via a feedback loop to a frequency divider; 
 measuring and outputting a first series of delays between a representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal by a plurality of individual delay cells of a medium-resolution TDC circuit; 
 measuring the first series of delays by a fine-resolution TDC circuit where each of the plurality of individual delay cells is coupled to a respective individual fine-resolution TDC circuit, and outputting a finer resolution signal of a delay between the representation of the DCO signal and the reference signal, wherein the fine-resolution TDC circuit comprises a plurality of capacitive elements within a series of capacitor banks; 
 comparing a phase of the FCW signal and the finer resolution signal of a delay between the representation of the DCO signal and a reference signal; and 
 adjusting the DCO output signal in response to the comparison. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  when in a calibration mode of operation the method further comprises:
 selecting and introducing a selected at least one of the capacitive elements into either a reference frequency signal path or a DCO signal path; 
 determining whether signals applied to the reference frequency signal path and DCO signal path are time aligned; and 
 storing the capacitive element data when the reference frequency signal path and DCO signal path are time aligned.